Say FAREwell to food allergies

by jmaloni

Fri, Aug 2nd 2013 06:25 pm

Above, left, the Washington family from Wheatfield is shown at last year's FARE Walk. Above, right, Evan Richey of Grand Island, captain of Team Evan for this year's walk, shows off the team shirt that he helped to design. His whole team will be wearing one like it on Aug. 10.

by Susan Mikula Campbell

With all the things that
can cause parents gray hairs these days, you would think something as innocent
as a birthday cupcake or the childhood staple of peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches wouldn't be on the list.

The truth is that a food
allergy can be potentially deadly.

Food Allergy Research
& Education works on behalf of the 15 million Americans with food
allergies, including all those at risk for life-threatening anaphylaxis.
According to FARE, this disease affects one in every 13 children in the U.S. -
or roughly two in every classroom.

Local families affected
by food allergies will participate in a FARE Walk for Food Allergies on Aug. 10
at Parkside Lodge in Buffalo's Delaware Park. Their goal is to educate the
public, bringing awareness, tolerance and understanding of the problems caused
by food allergies, as well as to raise funds for research.

This will be the third
year Michelle and Mike Washington of Wheatfield have participated in the FARE
Walk. They expect to have at least 10 friends and family members on their team,
including daughter Samantha, 5, and son Parker, 3 1/2.

It's Samantha who has
food allergies. It started when she was 9 months old and put on baby formula
after being breastfed. The frightened parents found themselves dealing with a
baby who had hives from head to toe.

Samantha is allergic to
eggs and dairy products. She gets blood tests every year to check her allergen
levels. At age 3, it was determined she outgrew her nut allergy and her parents
are hopeful the same will happen with eggs and milk.

"It's certainly a daily
challenge," said Michelle. "Milk and eggs are found in so many things ... hand
lotions sometimes have milk products in them."

Samantha also is contact
allergic, which means she doesn't have to ingest something to have a reaction,
such as hives or having her airway close up. Not normally allergic to pets, she
had a reaction when licked by a dog that apparently had eaten dog food
containing eggs or milk products.

"Every place we go we
have an EpiPen (epinephrine autoinjector) with us. Thankfully to date, we've
never had to use one," Michelle said.

An even bigger challenge
will come this fall when Samantha heads to kindergarten. Michelle started
meeting with the principal, school nurse and other parents in the Starpoint
School District in February. As a counselor in the Ken-Ton School District,
part of Michelle's job is to ensure that children with disabilities and
allergies are granted their legal rights, sometimes as simple as having a
nut-free classroom or having everyone wash their hands before entering the
classroom.

Having family and friends who understand
makes a world of difference, she said.

"Both of our mothers make cakes from
scratch and never have ice cream," she said. "Alternatives are out there, you
just have to know where to get them and what they are."

Melissa and Ben Richey of Grand Island
will be part of the FARE Walk for the first time this year to support their
6-year-old son Evan, who has a severe peanut and tree nut allergy. Also on Team
Evan are older brother Colin and younger sisters Ava and Mara, as well as
grandmother Fran Mergl.

One of Evan's twin sisters also was
diagnosed with a nut allergy about two years ago, but when testing was done
this year, it was found she had apparently outgrown the allergy. Testing
included a three-hour stint in the doctor's office to reintroduce her to peanut
butter.

"That was a huge, huge day in our house,
and very liberating for her," Melissa said.

Evan's allergy is much more severe. His
parents are diligent about checking the food he eats and not shy about talking
with restaurant managers or chefs.

They once dealt with an allergic reaction
after Evan had eaten some cut up fruit at an event. Luckily, the event was near
his doctor's office and he received immediate care. The only thing the doctor
could say was that possibly the person preparing the fruit used a knife or
plate or touched something that had come in contact with peanuts or peanut
butter.

"Something as little as cross contact or
something on someone's hands could cause a reaction," Melissa said.

Evan, who just completed kindergarten,
will be moving to a new school this year. His former school didn't have a
school nurse in the building. His new school has a full-time nurse.

Parents need to work closely with school
administration to be sure their allergic children are safe. Her former
experience as an elementary school teacher helped her prepare to know what to
ask for, Melissa said.

Peanut butter is often a staple in school
cafeterias, and even a simple classroom holiday or birthday celebration can
present a challenge. If a parent who is bringing in the treat provides a list
of ingredients, it can be a bonus.

"As parents, we don't want people to go
out of their way to make big accommodations, but when they consider our
children's food allergies, it means so much, because they are included,"
Melissa said, noting that although she always packs and brings food for Evan
where ever they go, "he's so grateful for the opportunity to be included ... to
be a part of what everyone else is doing."

Tracy Hurley of Amherst is the chairperson
of the Buffalo FARE Walk. She and her husband have two sons with severe,
life-threatening allergies, 6-year-old Conlen, who is allergic to peanuts, tree
nuts, sesame seeds, dairy, eggs and peas, and 2-year-old Grady, who is allergic
to sesame seeds and eggs. The parents always carry two EpiPens.

"When Conlen was an infant, we noticed he
would develop a rash around his mouth, hives and his stool had blood in it,"
Tracy said. His pediatrician suggested blood testing, and it was found that
Conlen was allergic to many things, some of which he has outgrown.

Tracy has made it a priority in her life
to educate others about food allergies. She and her husband "believe that
through education we can make children with allergies safe, and live a 'normal'
life."

All three parents are part of the support
group Greater Buffalo Food Allergy Alliance and say it's a great way to get
information on food allergies and network with other parents. The group has its
own website and Facebook page.

Buffalo's FARE Walk for Food Allergies on
Aug. 10 will run from 9 a.m. to noon, rain or shine.

This year, there will be several new free
activities, including a bounce house, Zoomobile (reptiles), face painting, fire
truck, photo booth, a clown, manicures and pedicures, an obstacle course,
karate and dance shows, craft tables, Buster Bison, super heroes, princesses
and a disc jockey.

Participants can sign up
to walk individually or as part of a team as late as Aug. 10 at the walk. For
more information or to register or volunteer, visit www.foodallergywalk.org/buffalo.